1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electric outlets and more particularly to an electric outlet having elongated conductor strips slidably receiving angular-shaped prongs of an electric cord plug in locking relation.
As is well known, wall mounted electric outlets are adapted for insertion and withdrawal of the conductor prongs of a plug forming a part of or attached to an electric cord. The outlets are often within easy reach of small children who have a tendency to pull on the electric cord thus interrupting current to an appliance, or the like. Further, children, when playing, often insert metallic objects into the slots of an electric outlet, commonly known as a socket, thus causing a short circuit, throwing a breaker switch or blowing a fuse as well as the danger of receiving an electrical shock.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide some safeguard to prevent unauthorized current interruption and minimize the danger of electrical shock.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior patents featuring safety electric outlets have generally comprised attachments for the face plate of an electric outlet featuring rotatable snap-on or sliding covers for the electric socket opening, such as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,639,886 and 3,656,083 in which the face plate attachments are manually moved for insertion and removal of the plug. Other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,552,061 and 2,610,999 feature overlying slotted slidable plates which must be manually moved to mate the overlying plate slots with the electric outlet slots or openings for insertion and removal of the plug. One disadvantage of a manually movable face plate is that a small child, by observation, may learn to expose the electric outlet socket and thus create a potential hazard to himself.
This invention features an electric outlet in which the conductors or contacts are disposed in off-set relation with respect to plug prong receiving slots thus preventing electrical conductive contact with objects inserted into the electric outlet through its plug prong receiving slots while simultaneoulsy preventing separation of the plug from the outlet by a pull on the cord attached to the plug.